Yarra Junction Football Netball Club staged a late charge to win the Blood Oath campaign for Country Clubs.
YJ had been sitting in third place for the weeks leading up to the final days of the competition, and a well thought out and strategic last minute surge of activity saw them walk away with a win of just under a hundred votes. The YJ campaign to win was based on the principles of face to face marketing and direct action, played out by a team of dedicated club members. On the final evening and led by Stacey Cooper and Gerard Healy, the team pitched their strategy at homes around the Lilydale and Mooroolbark areas, where they door knocked hundreds of houses as well as camping in fast food outlets. This direct approach resulted in Yarra Junction climbing into second place on the last day of the campaign. From there, club members were all on Facebook, lobbying family members, roping in anyone they could think of to take the oath and nominate Yarra Junction. By 10.30pm, Junction was in front by a nose, but the opposition wasn’t taking any chances, and it was neck and neck for the next forty five minutes. By 11.00pm Junction was 85 ahead with the votes for both the leading clubs coming thick and fast. It was an electrifying finish, with Facebook activity at a premium as midnight finally arrived with Yarra Junction 1620 votes to 1522 votes for the nearest opposition.
The win was well planned, and designed to make the late run. Even so, it was tense and thrilling right up until the siren went at midnight and Yarra Junction were 98 in front. One of the key success factors was the total engagement of the members of the club in the campaign, and Stacey Cooper must take the credit for this. For weeks, the YJ Facebook page was alive with motivation and enthusiasm, urging club members to get involved to bring the big prize home. Stacey’s single mindedness and determination resulted in others coming on board in particular Gerard Healy. Gerard, together with Stacey, masterminded the last minute operation and with their band of players Max and Amanda Croaker, Pat Aulich, Emma Litterbach and Kane Davis brought it home.
The club has no plans as yet as to what the money will be spent on, but as everyone involved in footy netball clubs knows, money is always hard to come by. What it will do is give the club a level of financial security that it hasn’t had for a while.
Much more importantly, the Yarra Junction Football Netball Club hopes that everyone who took the oath and nominated YJFNC will remember the oath they took, that they will look after their mates on the road and put their safety first when driving.
“I swear I will always put my mates’ safety first when driving”
Last Modified on 03/08/2011 14:37